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Taiwan Tank Falls Off Bridge, Kills 3

Taiwan Tank Falls Off Bridge, Kills 3

A Taiwanese armored vehicle has plunged from a three-meter bridge in heavy rain after a military drill and killed three soldiers, officials say. The CM11 armored vehicle carrying five soldiers was returning to base when it fell into Wangsha River in Pingtung county in the south of the country. The driver and tank captain survived. The drill was part of preparations for next week’s annual Han Kuang military exercise. President Tsai Ing-wen has sent her condolences, BBC reported. The CM11 was returning from a firing test at about 10:30 local time (0230 GMT) when an apparent mechanical failure in one of the tracks left the driver unable to make a required left turn, the army said. The driver was able to escape with light injuries. The four others were pulled unresponsive from the vehicle. The captain was revived and later taken to a military hospital in neighboring Kaohsiung city. The soldiers reportedly belonged to the Eighth Army Command. President Tsai demanded a speedy investigation into the cause of the incident. She is scheduled to preside over the military exercises, which simulate possible attacks by Beijing.